The UK Foreign Secretary said Donald Trump's plan to dramatically cut US international aid budget could become a “big strategic mistake” that will allow China to promote and promote its global impact It says it has sex.
David Lammy's own experience of integrating the Bureau of International Development (DFID) published by Boris Johnson in 2020 into foreign offices has been stricken in the “soft power” of developing countries and beyond. He warned that it was a pretty good blow.
Thousands of USAID employees have already been fired, and programs including Ukraine are shutting down worldwide after the new administration imposed a drastic freeze on foreign aid before the new administration merged into the State Department. Masu. faux pas.
Aid agencies warn of the major impact on the global development sector, with disease, hunger and escalating risks of conflict, given that the US accounts for $4 of the $10 spent worldwide on humanitarian aid. . Security experts say China can take advantage of the move.
In an interview with the Guardian on a trip to Kiev, Ramie said: It was a big strategic mistake to lift my head a bit to many global partners.
“We've spent years trying to unravel that strategic mistake. Development is still a very important soft power tool. And without development… I'm sure China and others can't help but feel that way. I'm very worried about stepping into the gap.
“We were very critical of the way the last government handled the decision, so our friends should take a closer look at what was wrong in the UK when navigating this decision. I'll warn you.”
On Friday night, a US judge said he would issue an order that would block some measures to dismantle the USAID, adding that 2,200 agents' employees would not be placed on administrative leave anytime soon. Ta. However, the district's ruling is expected to be temporary for Washington Judge Carl Nichols with “limits.”
Ukraine has been upset from the decision to suspend all US foreign aid programs immediately, from military veteran rehabilitation programs to independent media and anti-corruption initiatives, from decisions to effectively suspend all US foreign aid programs. It's there.
“We will do what we can to improve these decisions, but clearly we are making clear that the UK does not have the resources available in the US,” Ramy said. He added that it was “not yet clear” to him whether Trump was planning to withdraw from the development field entirely or whether he planned to absorb some into the State Department.
Trump signed an executive order on Thursday allowing aggressive economic sanctions against the International Criminal Court, denounced groups of “illegal and unfounded conduct” targeting the US and Israeli pastors, with the humanity in Gaza after issuing an arrest warrant on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against.
After meeting President Zelensky and senior Ukrainian officials in Kiev, Ramie said there would be no immediate end to the battle, despite the US administration's promise to mediate a swift end of the conflict.
“I don't know if we're a few weeks away from the peace talks, and because we're sure our assessments are shared by the US, Putin never sees his desire for negotiations. , I say it's about ending this war,” he told the Guardian.
“We are still deep in winter. The truth is that the young men and women who make up the Ukrainian army are fighting on the ground for the future of their country, which will last for months…
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“It is pretty clear that Ukrainians will not have a ceasefire before negotiations. So I don't expect a ceasefire anytime soon in this war. It is very difficult that Putin does not show his desire to negotiate at this time. It's clear to me. So, sadly, I think this war of attrition will still last for several months.”
Kiel's starmer, who said the UK would “play a full role” in future security guarantees, excluded sending British troops to Ukraine to act as peacekeepers in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. Not there.
However, the Foreign Secretary said that discussions between Europe and G7 allies will “still run for several months” on what kind of guarantees are needed, and what role the UK will play He said it was “premature” to predict.
“When you navigate what these security assurances are, they're always custom-made to the theatres you were engaged in…it has to be a set of guarantees that really work.”
He pointed to an international surveillance mission along Ukraine's 1,200-km border with Russia, which ended in 2022 after repeated violations by Russian troops.
Zelenskyy called out European allies Increase defense spending urgently The Trump administration is to increase its own security while NATO members require 5% of their GDP to be spent on defense.
“As Foreign Secretary, it's really clear that we have to increase our defense spending,” Ramie said. “It's important that we play a role, and that means we have to increase our defense spending.”
However, he refused to assure that Labour had targeted the Congress 2.5%, and that the government would only set a route “in the coming months” before the spending review in June, and he would be able to defensive spending. We had to weigh against domestic priorities that we said we were aware of.
The Labour government has announced new cuts to international aid in the fall budget after pledging to rebuild the UK as a trusted development partner. It also warns that the economic situation required to return aid spending from 0.5% to 0.7% of GDP is unlikely to be met before the next election.
